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Chapter 372: The Face Fruit Loses to the Supermarket Sale
B-Class... Rank 7?
Shanks felt his brain buzzing like a hornet's nest. He looked off in the distance at the mountain range that had been completely vaporized by a single punch. He looked up at the gaping hole in the atmosphere, torn open by the shockwave, which still hadn't closed. Finally, he stiffly shifted his gaze back to the bald man standing in front of him.
Those dead-fish eyes. That somewhat comical yellow jumpsuit. Those red rubber gloves that looked like they were meant for washing dishes.
This is B-Class? Then what the hell is S-Class? The Creator himself?!
"Um... young man." Shanks took a deep breath, trying to calm his severely traumatized heart. He pointed at King, who was foaming at the mouth and rolling his eyes back into his head nearby, and asked somewhat hesitantly. "If I want to get that strong... do I have to shave my head bald first?"
Benn Beckman dropped his cigarette for the second time today. His captain's thought process was truly bizarre, no matter what universe they were in.
Saitama rubbed his bald head, looking genuinely troubled by the question. His gaze drifted off. "Ah... well, about that. While it's true that you'll go bald if you get strong, it's also true that getting strong makes you bald. It's a very profound philosophical dilemma."
Having dispensed his wisdom, Saitama impatiently glanced down at his wrist, despite not wearing a watch. Even though there was only bare skin, he still let out a horrified scream.
"Crap! It's already 5:40! The old ladies are going to snatch all the premium marbled beef at the bargain sale! That damn Elder Centipede! He wasted five whole minutes of my time!"
Saitama's expression instantly became far more intense and serious than when he was facing the Dragon-Level monster. The overwhelming aura he emitted was even more terrifying than when he had thrown that punch!
"Sorry, old man, and you, the guy with the gun. I'm in a hurry. Let's chat next time we bump into each other!"
With that, Saitama slightly bent his knees. The ground beneath his feet instantly fractured, cratering into a pit over ten meters wide. His entire body coiled like an intercontinental ballistic missile preparing for launch.
Just as he was about to launch himself into the sky...
Clang—!!!
The crisp ring of a blade being drawn abruptly blocked his path. The legendary sword, Gryphon, was leveled horizontally across Saitama's intended trajectory.
Shanks kept his head lowered, his short red hair casting a shadow over his eyes, making his expression unreadable. However, the air around them instantly grew thick, heavy, and incredibly viscous.
It was Haki. The absolute pinnacle of Conqueror's Haki!
If Shanks had merely been enjoying the thrill of battle when fighting Vaccine Man and Elder Centipede, right now... he was burning his very life force!
"Hey, bald brother." Shanks slowly lifted his head. In those sharp eyes burned a fanatical, boiling fighting spirit capable of evaporating the ocean. It was the look of a pilgrim who had spent half his life seeking the truth, only to finally stand face-to-face with a true god. Even if he knew the path ahead led to a bottomless abyss, he would dive in without a second thought!
"I'm sorry for interrupting your grocery shopping, but... could you please give me some face, and... fight me?"
Benn Beckman's pupils constricted into pinpricks. "Boss! Are you out of your mind?! That guy is a monster! That kind of power can't be explained by Haki or Devil Fruits! That's rule-breaking, conceptual destruction!"
For the first time in his life, Beckman lost his cool. His Observation Haki was screaming at him: if that bald man actually threw a punch, his captain... would die! He would absolutely die!
However, Shanks acted as though he hadn't heard his vice-captain's frantic warning. He stared dead at Saitama, the corners of his mouth curling into a wild, unbridled smirk.
"A monster? Perfect! I didn't travel light-years across universes and spend a hundred million Berries on a ticket... just to back down now! I came here to see exactly how high the mountain of the 'Strongest' truly is!"
If he didn't even have the courage to swing his sword, what right did he have to call himself one of the Four Emperors?! How could he talk about bringing an end to the old era?!
Boom—!!!
Black and red lightning erupted from Shanks' body without reservation! The sky above the ruined Z-City instantly turned a dark, blood-red hue! The earth trembled, and loose debris levitated into the air. This was a man standing at the absolute apex of the pirate world, unleashing everything he had!
Not even during the Summit War, not even when facing Whitebeard, had he released such a terrifying, suffocating aura!
"Oh?" Saitama paused, looking at the one-armed man blocking his path with mild surprise. A faint ripple finally appeared in those dead-fish eyes. "Not bad intensity. You remind me a bit of Mumen Rider, the guy on the bicycle."
"But..." Saitama scratched his cheek, looking deeply conflicted. "I really am in a hurry right now. If I'm late, I'll only be able to buy the discounted, tough pork. That stuff tastes awful in a hotpot."
Shanks: "..."
Pork again? I'm laying my life on the line to challenge you, and all you can think about is a damn hotpot?!
A surge of indignation at being looked down upon, mixed with the shame of being completely ignored, pushed Shanks' fighting spirit to its absolute breaking point!
"If you won't make the first move, then I'll force you to get serious!"
Thud! Shanks took a single step forward, and the ground beneath him caved in completely. He vanished from his spot in an instant, reappearing directly above Saitama's head!
As he gripped the sword with his only hand, Gryphon's blade was coated in an absurdly dense, almost liquid-like layer of dark-red Haki. The sheer force of the energy was warping and fracturing the space around the steel!
This singular strike condensed his entire life's essence, focus, and spirit. It was the strongest attack he had ever unleashed! Even if Kaido were standing there, this slash would cleave him in two! Even Whitebeard would be forced to retreat!
"Divine Departure!!!"
"Look at me, damn it!!!" Shanks roared, plummeting like a meteor, slashing down viciously at the bald man!
Time seemed to slow to a crawl. Beckman held his breath. This is the full power of a Yonko! This is the strongest swordsmanship the sea has ever known! Will it work?! Even if he can't defeat that bald guy, surely... surely he can force him to get a little serious? Maybe even scratch him?
However, in the very next second, the hope in Beckman's eyes completely shattered.
Facing the ultimate strike capable of splitting islands and tearing the sky asunder, Saitama simply tilted his head up. His expression remained incredibly blank. He didn't even bother to assume a defensive stance. He merely felt that this buzzing fly was getting a bit too noisy.
And more importantly... if he didn't leave right now, he really would miss the supermarket closing time.
So, he raised his red-gloved hand. There was no charging up. There was no martial technique. He didn't even twist his waist. He just casually swatted his hand to the side, exactly as one would shoo away a fly.
"Normal..."
"Consecutive Side Hops."
Boom—!!!
The world... went silent.
No, the world simply vanished.
In Shanks' Observation Haki vision, every single thing in front of him disappeared. The ruins, the sky, the bald man—all of it was gone.
Taking its place, filling his entire conceptual universe, was a singular, massive kanji—
[DANGER]!!!
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